Building a Sound Jazz Repertoire

[Bill Hart]

A question raised by a poster on thread on another board led me to suggest that he should solicit advice concerning a basic repertoire of jazz. We are talking vinyl here folks. So any suggestions should be fitted into the category of jazz that you think most apt (big band; bop; etc.) if possible, or reflect the era. Bonus points for suggesting the best pressing.
I know a few folks here are pretty knowledgeable and I would benefit from this as well. Your suggestions, please!

 

[LL21]

Here are a few of my choices which i enjoy out of my current jazz collection...which will pale in comparison to many here.

Piano
- Oscar Peterson: Night Train
- Thelonius Monk: Genius of Modern Music Vol 1 & 2

Female Vocals
- Ella Fitzgerald: Ella & Louis, Ella & Louis Again
- Billie Holiday: Distingue Lovers, Body & Soul
- Etta James

Horns & Sax
- Miles David: Kind of Blue
- Wayne Shorter: Speak No Evil
- John Coltrane: Blue Trane, Soul Train, My Favorite Things

Others
- Red Garland Trio or Red Garland Quintet: All Mornin' Long, Groovy
- Dexter Gordon: Go!, Our Man in Paris
- Stanley Turrentine: The Blue Hour, the Complete Sessions
- Lou Donaldson: Blues Walk
- David Brubeck: Time Out
- Freddie Hub: Hub-Tones
- Cannonball Adderly: Somethin Else
- Hank Mobley: Soul Station
- Thad Jones: the Magnificent Thad Jones
- Horace Parlan: Us Three
- Duke Ellington


Something a little different or more recent...still good music
- Getz/Gilberto:
- Herbie Hancock: the Joni Letters
- Norah Jones: Come Away with Me
- Joe Williams: Ballad and Blues Master
- Ray Charles & Count Basie: Ray Sings, Basie Sings

 

[Bill Hart]

My are a few of my choices which i enjoy out of my current jazz collection...which will pale in comparison to many here.

Piano
- Oscar Peterson: Night Train
- Thelonius Monk: Genius of Modern Music Vol 1 & 2

Female Vocals
- Ella Fitzgerald: Ella & Louis, Ella & Louis Again
- Billie Holiday: Distingue Lovers, Body & Soul
- Etta James

Horns & Sax
- Miles David: Kind of Blue
- Wayne Shorter: Speak No Evil
- John Coltrane: Blue Trane, Soul Train, My Favorite Things

Others
- Red Garland Trio or Red Garland Quintet: All Mornin' Long, Groovy
- Dexter Gordon: Go!, Our Man in Paris
- Stanley Turrentine: The Blue Hour, the Complete Sessions
- Lou Donaldson: Blues Walk
- David Brubeck: Time Out
- Freddie Hub: Hub-Tones
- Cannonball Adderly: Somethin Else
- Hank Mobley: Soul Station
- Thad Jones: the Magnificent Thad Jones
- Horace Parlan: Us Three
- Duke Ellington


Something a little different or more recent...still good music
- Getz/Gilberto:
- Herbie Hancock: the Joni Letters
- Norah Jones: Come Away with Me
- Joe Williams: Ballad and Blues Master
- Ray Charles & Count Basie: Ray Sings, Basie Sings

Nice, Lloyd. Thanks for taking the time to compile that- i enjoy alot of your list already, and am a huge Etta James fan. We got to see her at Carnegie Hall, it must be close to a decade ago now, and what she lacked in sheer power, she more than made up for in finesse. I really like that pair of live albums she did with Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson.

 

[LL21]

Nice, Lloyd. Thanks for taking the time to compile that- i enjoy alot of your list already, and am a huge Etta James fan. We got to see her at Carnegie Hall, it must be close to a decade ago now, and what she lacked in sheer power, she more than made up for in finesse. I really like that pair of live albums she did with Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson.

Nice! We all need to go sometime, but still...it was a shame that she recently passed away.

 

[rockitman]

Buy all the blue note reissues from analogue productions, quality records and oop Classic Records...all available from Chad's place Acoustic Sounds.....he has the remaining stock of oop Classic Records issues in rock, pop, jazz and classical.

 

[LL21]

Buy all the blue note reissues from analogue productions, quality records and oop Classic Records...all available from Chad's place Acoustic Sounds.....he has the remaining oop Classic Records issues in rock, pop, jazz and classical.

Rockitman has a good point...the good news is that (if you are interested in the ones i listed), most of them are now available in well-remastered versions. Many of them by Analogue Productions whom i agree are excellent.

 

[Bill Hart]

Buy all the blue note reissues from analogue productions, quality records and oop Classic Records...all available from Chad's place Acoustic Sounds.....he has the remaining stock of oop Classic Records issues in rock, pop, jazz and classical.

That's cheating, buying in bulk

 

[MylesBAstor]

Buy all the blue note reissues from analogue productions, quality records and oop Classic Records...all available from Chad's place Acoustic Sounds.....he has the remaining stock of oop Classic Records issues in rock, pop, jazz and classical.

Don't forget ORG.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

If I had it to do over again, I think I'd just start with the great band leaders of the 50s -- Cannonball Adderly, Miles, Coltrane, Bill Evans, Gill Evans, Art Blakey, Charles Mingus, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson, Sonny Rollins, Monk....I'm sure I've missed more than a few. I'd buy their most celebrated recordings, take note of who the players are on those albums and follow the path they lead you down. That'd take you farther than most of us are likely to have time for, and it will be a hell of a ride. If you've got the cash and like to collect, just buy it. It's all good. If you want to proceed more carefully than that, listen on Spotify and buy what touches your soul. Really, you could just about do what I outlined above, starting with Miles alone. Get an example or two from every major stage of his career and follow the sidemen to their other projects and other connections. Enjoy.

Tim

 

[flez007]

I tend to agree on the list below, I am still missing some of them thou.

http://www.thejazzresource.com/top_25_jazz_albums.html

 

[Bill Hart]

If I had it to do over again, I think I'd just start with the great band leaders of the 50s -- Cannonball Adderly, Miles, Coltrane, Bill Evans, Gill Evans, Art Blakey, Charles Mingus, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson, Sonny Rollins, Monk....I'm sure I've missed more than a few. I'd buy their most celebrated recordings, take note of who the players are on those albums and follow the path they lead you down. That'd take you farther than most of us are likely to have time for, and it will be a hell of a ride. If you've got the cash and like to collect, just buy it. It's all good. If you want to proceed more carefully than that, listen on Spotify and buy what touches your soul. Really, you could just about do what I outlined above, starting with Miles alone. Get an example or two from every major stage of his career and follow the sidemen to their other projects and other connections. Enjoy.

Tim

A sensible adventure; good, Tim.

 

[rockitman]

As Tim says, virtually anything from the golden era of jazz....1954-1965 is great.

 

[Bill Hart]

I tend to agree on the list below, I am still missing some of them thou.

http://www.thejazzresource.com/top_25_jazz_albums.html

Good list, Flez. I have a set of promo pressings of the Errol Garner that I still have to find; I probably haven't listened to it in 25 years.

 

[puroagave]

there was a well-researched guide put out by borders books years ago, i have the print issue and with the help of google lo and behold someone scanned it. imo, its a good primer on the essentials, hence the title. no credit is given for the author:

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/6176840/Borders-Free-Jazz-Essentials-Book

 

[mep]

Anything Rudy Van Gelder recorded.

 

[FrantzM]

Wouldn't it be interesting to have a limit on the number of albums ... I mean, if this is to build a Repertoire telling a person to just buy anything and everything from an era doesn't help IMO... So let's go for a nice number: 25 albums to start a Jazz Repertoire ..mine is coming in a few mins

By the way, Looydelee I like your list and have these albums ...

 

[Bill Hart]

Wouldn't it be interesting to have a limit on the number of albums ... I mean, if this is to build a Repertoire telling a person to just buy anything and everything from an era doesn't help IMO... So let's go for a nice number: 25 albums to start a Jazz Repertoire ..mine is coming in a few mins

By the way, Looydelee I like your list and have these albums ...

Thank you, Frantz. I agree with your take.

 

[MylesBAstor]

I would have put Herbie Hancock's Maiden Voyage was higher and left off the other selection. And are they kidding? No Bill Evans???? No Count Basie? Ellington? Gil Evans? Coleman Hawkins?

It also seems to me that last couple were just fillers.

 

[DaveyF]

I think an effort to acquire the original Blue Note catalog and the original Prestige catalog would be a good starter. Then I would look to add the various Mosaic LP's and I think one would have a great foundation. Very pricey undertaking, BUT nobody said anything about cost.

 

[FrantzM]

Hi

I will try to follow the format used by Looydelee21, there is no hierarchy, the order is as they come to mind, unless noted:
Piano:
• Art Tatum: Piano Starts Here
• Thelonios Monk: Monk’s Dream
• Thelonious Monk: Underground
• Duke Ellington: Jazz Party
• Duke Ellington: Hot Summer Dance
• Oscar Peterson: Night Train
• Oscar Peterson: The Jazz Soul of Oscar Peterson
• Chick Corea: My Spanish Heart
• Errol Garner: Concert by the Sea
• Bud Powell: Bouncing With Bud
Female Voice:
• Billie Holliday: Lady In Satin
• Nina Simone: I Put A Spell on You
• Ella Fitzgerad: Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Songbook
• Sarah Vaughan: Sara Vaughn in Hi-Fi
• Nancy Wilson: Great American Songbook

Ok the rest. later, that is a lot of work ! and it will be more than 25 albums .. Sue me!!!